安葬 (ān zàng) — to bury (the dead) | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A formal, respectful verb for burying the dead with ceremony — stronger and more solemn than the everyday 埋葬, and used for funerals or official burials rather than casual disposal.

verb

to bury (the dead)

Examples

安葬。
Tā men jiāng zǔ fù ān zàng zài cūn hòu de shān pō shàng.
They buried their grandfather on the hillside behind the village.
安葬。
Zhè wèi liè shì bèi ān zàng zài gé mìng gōng mù.
This martyr was buried in the revolutionary cemetery.
安葬。
Jiā zú jǔ xíng le lóng zhòng de ān zàng yí shì.
The family held a solemn burial ceremony.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

安 and 葬 both point to laying the dead into the earth, together meaning to bury.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

宀女安

Meaning part形符xíngfú

宀宀mián

Sound part声符shēngfú

女

女nǚ安ān

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 安, 宀 sits above a seated 女 on a cushion; 宀 is the meaning part, 女 is the sound part, and the character originally meant sitting at ease.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

茻茻mǎnggrass
死死sǐdead person

In 葬, 死, a dead person, is shown in 茻, grass, to picture burying the dead in grass.

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